Automatic thermostatic gas cut-off



1,543,057 F. COLONNA AUTOMATIC THERMOSTATIC GAS CUT-OFF Filed Dec. a, 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 1 FRANK C01 ON/VA m m J m n I l n m 1 m v 4/ 4 m i A m A m M ei 4 m a w j m 2 j i. llllllll all: k 4 a June 23, 19 25.

June 23, 1925. 1,543,057

F. COLONNA AUTOIATICTHERMOSTATIC GAS CUT-OFF Filed Dec.'5, 192s 3 Sheets-:Sheet 2 W k 2 I R f l m U Fin/wt 6040mm BM 1' W k ATTORNEY:

Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES;

FRANK COLONNA, OF BROOKLYN, NEN YORK.

AUTOMATIC THEBMOSTATIC GAS CUT-OFF. I

Application filed Decem ber 5, 1923. Serial No. 638,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CoLoNNA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Thermostatic Gas Cut-Ofl's, ofwhich the following is a Specification.

My present invention relates to automatic cut-offs for combustible fluids, such as illuminating and heating gas, and more particularly to an automatic cutoff-,actuated thermostatically. This invention finds particular use in connection with burners in furnaces, ranges and radiators, and in connectionwith illuminating burners and the like. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fluid cut-off which shall positively cutoff all thefluid supply to a burner or burners consuming such fluid the moment its quantity or "volume passing to the burner or burners drops to such a degree insufficient to support a flame.

It is another ob'ect of the invention to provide a simple but positive actuating device which automatically shuts off the supply of a combustible fluid to a burner burning such a fluid whenever the'pressure of the fluid in the supply pipe reaches a point insufficient to support combustion.

It is stillanother ob'ect of the invention to provide a device which shall automati- Q cally cut off the combustible fluid supply to a burner or burners when-ever such burner or burners have, for an reason, their flame or flames extinguished. g

It is a further object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and durable device, of the character stated, which shall prevent the passage of combustible fluid to an extinguished burner, and which shall have also shut said supply of combustible fluid at a predetermined time without the aid of human attendance. 7

Other objects of the invention, together with its advantages and distinguishing fea} tures, shall appear in the accompanying speclficatlon whlchis descrlptlve of one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming. a part of said specification, it being understood that the said drawings are only illustrativeof one embodiment of the invention to which I do not limit myself, since the same could be easily varied and changed without in the least departing from the spirit thereof.

Referring to the said illustrativeembodiment of the invention in the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of said illus- I trative embodiment of the invention shown connected with the fluid supply pipe of a radiator and of. an illuminating burner;

qF-ig. 2 is a rear view of the upper por-' tion of the device showing its connection witha clock mechanism for enabling a shut off of the'fluid supply to, the illuminating or heating appliances orboth at a set or prefixed time; f l

Fig. 3 shows the inner. view of the device, with the clockremoved, illustrating the preferable form of the operating mechanism of the device together with the'cooperating clock operated means;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view takenon a line a r-Lin Fig, 3 and showing the operated mechanism sidewise;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that in Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the invention; and

r Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the device taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows showing certain clock actuated meansin co-action with the mechanism in the device.

Before describing the invention in accordance with the illustrated example, it is thought desirable to briefly state the field to which it pertains and what difficulties and troubles I it shall eliminate therein. The danger of death and fire from illuminating and heating fluids, such as what is commonly known as gas, is an appalling nightmare in the life of those persons inhabiting dwell ings furnished withgas appliances. Al-

though many devices, improvements, rules and regulations have been devised and suggested to minimize such danger, the rate of death and property damage from free illuminating gas in the air is asheavy as ever. Most of the time when the air is charged with gas in quantities to cause asphyxiation or fires or both, the source of its escape is invariably traced to open jets or burners. These jets or burners discharge gas into the air whenever their flames have been extinguished by causes other than a shut-oil by an attendant. The causes of flame extinguishments usually arise from decrease of gas pressure in the mains, temporary shut-cits at the gas plants, poor mixture of air and gas to the burner, or gust of win-d against the flame.

The above enumerated causes and others ,otlike nature, not mentioned, render the use of illun'iinatinggas inthe'home so hazardous and risky that its use, essential as .it is in the' home, is restricted only to indispensable .house appliances, to the discomfort of the publicat large and to the financial loss of the gasindustry. But the discomfort arising from ,the restriction of use of gas on the part of the public and the financial loss for the same reasons on the part of the gas industrycan be remedied by a device such as that jforming the subject matter of this invention, by means of .which, thegas supply to' the jhousehold appliances provided with such a device may be entirely cut off the moment the flames of the burners of the an plian ces become extinguished or are about to become extinguished.

In Fig. 1 to the radiator 10, which may be o1": any kindor shape a fluid supply pipe 1 1 is connected to which may be connected a second pipe 12 tosupply ill miinating fluid to the burner 13. 'The pipe12ofcourse may be dispensed with or it may 'be provided with .a device of its own to control its own flowot fluid. This pipe is shown connected to the pipe 11 only to show. the possibility'ot controlling the burners 1 1- of the radiator and the illuminating burner 18 from the same device. The device itself is shown by thenumeral 15 which be preferab l-y inclosed in a casing or box '17 having its front part 18 removable soas to get to themechanism which the box contains. This box 17 may accommodate the fitting 20 housing the valve 21' to openandclose-thedischarge o-t fluid to the pipe {11 from the main supply22. Both the pipe 11 and the main supply 22 are connectible to the fitting 20 through any approved means such as the nuts 23. Thus when these two pipes are connected to the fitting 20 which, being secured to the box 17 by means of bolts andnuts 25, the main 22 and the pipe 11 sustain the box and the mechanism Acarried therein.

The box has secured thereto, in any approved manner, a shell 28 perforated as at at its upper side. This shell'constitutes an air chamberinto which rises the air heated by a JQllot burner 30 fed from the pipe "11. l/Vhen the pilot burner 30 is burning, the air heated by its flame rises upwardly into the chamber and escapes through the perforatlons 29.

air therethrough. This conduit may be used in association with the burner 30 so that the flow of heated air through the chamber may be supplied by the burner 30 and theconduit 8 5, jointly orseverally.

To the box 17 is secured the mechanism indicated generally by the number 38 which is secured to the box through any suitable means suchas the rivets orscreWs This mechanism may suitably comprisea train of gears 40 having principally the master gear 4.1 and the controlling gear 42, the master gear 11 being provided with spring 43 against which it is wound when the va'lve'21 is opened, the controlling gear 42 acting as a restraining member for the gear eclwhich is prevented from rotating under the influ ence of the spring by the gear 42, the two gears being intermeshed through intermediate gears .45 and 416. The last-mentioned e-rs i5 and 416,.may .be eliminated it desired d the gear 4E2 maybeeither meshed.

directly with the master gear 41 or also be eliminated wlth the others and the master gear tl, by a slight vmodification, may be. made to act as the master gear and :also the controlling gear. All of these gears are suitably held assembled in a frame 49 to which may be pivoted, as at-50, a {pawl 51 formed with tooth .53atone endand ,an ottset portion 54: at the other which may carry the balancingmeans 55 wonsistingof nutsor like elements which, when advanced or retracted to and from the end of theotf-set portion, will tend to balance the pawl51 on its pivot. This pawl maybe varied in size and shape without affecting its purpose and scope. The tooth 53 of the pawl 51 may engage with the teeth .60 ,ot the controlling gear 42, and thus whenithe twouengage with each other, the controlling gear A2 is vprevented trom rotating under the influence ot the spring 413. When {the tooth 53 is disengaged from the teeth and the gear 41 is wound against the gears 10 all will rotate until the pressure of the spring. 43 has been exhausted.

To the axle, of the master gearll may be mounteda crank which !is connected to the crank 66, secured to the valve 21, by

66 of the link 67 are not absolutely necessary for in their place a train of gears 69 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 5.

Mounted on the frame 49 is a bracket 71 on which is pivoted the thermostatically opera-ted device 72 which carries at one end a floater or an air buffer plate 73-andat the other a pawl engaging member 7 4.. This thermostatically operated member 7 2' preferably has a tube 75 intermediate the floater 73 and the pawl engaging member 74, in which are accommodated one or more balls 76 free to travel from one end of the tube to the other and meant to expedite the oscillating movement of the thermostatically operated device 72; for as soon as the tube 75 swings in any position, slightly off the horizontal plane, the balls begin to travel in the direction of that end which is below the horizontal plane'and quicken the movement of that end downwardly. It will be noted that the distance between the end of the tube carrying the pawl engaging member 7a and the center of the bracket 71 is shorter than the distance between the center of the bracket and the other end of the tube and when the balls 76 occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, that is the position near the inner end of the tube, unless there is radiating air passing through the chamber formed by the shell 28, the tube 72 together 'with the floater 73 will tend to move clockwisely, for the weight of these balls and that of the part of the device extending between the bracket and the element 7e are not SU'filClGIlt to counterbalance the weight between the bracket and the other end of the tube. The shank 7 9 of the pawl engaging element 74: may be conveniently threaded so as to carry the nuts 80 which are meant to be moved in one direction or the other along the shank to properly adjust the balance of the thermostatically operated elements 72.

In order to set the device when ,a flow of gas is desired to take place through the pipe 11, the pawl 51 is first engaged with the controlling gear 42 and for this purpose the following device may be employed: Through a hole in one side of the box 17 extends a sleeve which is secured to said side in an approved manner as soldering, welding or screwing, and through this sleeve extends a stub shaft 86 which is free to rotate in the sleeve and which is influenced by a spring 87 that urges the prongs 88 and'89, carried by the stub shaft, in'a horizontal. position as shown in Fig. 3. The angle of rotation of the stub shaft 86 is determined by a stopper 90 integral therewith which travels in a slot 91 formed in the sleeve 85. This stub shaft 86 may also be provided with a head 92. to aiford a finger. gripping membenlVhen the head 92 is rotated counter-clockwisely, the prongs 88 and 89 are rocked downwardly causing the prong 89 to engage the curved portion of the pole 51 rocking it onits pivot 50 and causing the tooth 58 thereof to engage the teeth 60 of the controlling gear 42. Upon releasing the head 92, the prongs 88 and 89 return to their normal horizontal positions under the influenoeof the spring 87.

- The gear mechanism 40 may be set for operation by means of a key 95 which is inserted-through an opening 96 in the removable front 18 of the box 17. This key is formed with a socket orslot 97 to engage the head 98 of the shaft 99 of the master gear 41 about'which the spring 43 winds. To remove the front 18 of the box 17, which. in the illustrated example, is slided longitudinally of the boX for it is held in place bystuds 100 secured atboth sides of the box 17, the key 95 is first withdrawn. This construction, of course, can be varied as by hinging the front 18 to the box and by making the key 95 a part thereof to-eliminate the withdrawal of the key every time the front18 is removed.

Then a supply of gas is desired'to be drawn for the radiator 10, or like appliances, fromthe pipe 11, the stub shaft 86 isrotated counter-clockwisely through the head member 92 to force the prongs 88 and 89 downwardly and cause the pawl 51' to swing clockwiselyto engage .thetooth 58 thereof with the teeth 69 of the controlling gear and lock the said controlling gear against movement; and to cuase' the prong 88 to engage with the shank 79 and swing the device 72 to'the position as shown in Fig. 3. The master gear 41 is then rotated through the key 95 against the pressure of the spring 4-3 which gear remains in the charged posi tion while the tooth 53 engage the teeth 60. Then the pilot burner 30 is opened and lit and a few seconds thereafter, the head 92.is released so as to enable the prongs 88 and 89 to return to their normal position,

for by this time the radiating air caused by the flame of the burner 30 striking against the floater 73, compelsrthe device 72 to remain in the full line position shown in Fig. 3, in which position it stays until the gas supply is either shut off or until any cause may extinguish the flames of the burners.

While the floater 73 is in its uppermost position, the mechanism 40 having been turned in the direction in which it opens the valve 21, the valve 21 remains open until there is enough airradiated from the burner 30 to the floater. The moment that, through any un "pipe 1-1.

Assuming that the pilot burner isnot used, the neated air, to keep the floater in its uppermost position, may be supplied by the air radiated in-the radiator 10, and the momentthat any accident happens, that is, that the PIT-35511136101: the'fluid in the pipe 11 decreases orthat any of the burners 1% become-extinguished and decrease the :amount 10f radiation within the radiator, the floater 73-willcease to be supported by the radiating air conducted by the conduit and will move downwardly closing the valve 21 in the same manner as if the burner 30 had become extinguished. If desirable, the burner may be used in conjunction with the conduit 85 and the two adjusted so that then-combined radiation only will support the floater 73 in its uppermost position. It will also be noted that once the floater 73 begins to move'downwardly and the tube '75 passes its horizontal position, the balls 76 will hasten 'its movement downwardly. The operation ot-the device is positive and as it will permit the flow of gas-only under the circumstances that the gas itself must produce a. certain amount of radiating air, the moment that it tails to produce such amount of radiating air, the supply of to the appliance or appliancesswill be shut down completely.

The means described in the illustrated embodiment of course may be changed and varied, as may be found expedient to so do, without departing from the spirit of my invention, which 'is that of principally controlling the flow of the fluid on thermostatic principles, since fluids employed for illuminating and heating purposes when ignited al-ways create a thermostatic action.

lt may also be desired to shut oil the gas supp'ly to the gas appliances at a certain predetermined time without the attendance of the human factor and for this purpose I employ a clock 110 which is detachably mounted on the box 17 by means of any suitable clamping elements suchas the plate 11 secured to the case of the clock which co-acts with a stub plate 112 secured to the box 17, and the housings 114 to house the legs 115 of the clock. Any other approved means may be employed for clamping the clock to the box and the ones ust described dropped to or below =winding mechanism of the clock, and the tongue 122 being engageable with the off-set portion 54: of the pawl 51. The lower portion of the sleeve 117 is surrounded by a spring 125, one end 01" which is secured to the sleeve and the other end bears against the tongue 122 so as to urge the shaft 120 and the tongues 121 and 122 in one direction, that is, in the direction bearing against the oil-set portion M of the pawl 51 and the key 123 of the clock.

Whenever it is desired to have the gas supply shut otl at a certain time, the alarm "clock 1s set to give an alarm at that time, leaving the key 123 bearing against the tongue 121. Upon reaching that t me the alarm clock is set oil and the key 123 rotating presses against the shaft 120 which turns against the action of the spring 125, causing thetongue 122 to press against the ofi-set portion 5a and swinging the pawl 51 -counter-clockwisely.

Thus the tooth 53 is disengaged'from the teeth of the controlling gear 12 and the spring 13 is allowed to rotate the gears 40 to close the valve 21 as it the air radiating from the burner was insui'licient to support, in the uppermost position, the floater 73. V It is thus seen that through the medium of the mechanism just described, the device forming the subject matterof the invention not only cuts off the fluid supply to the burners whenever those burners fail to support a certain degree of combustion, but also provides the means whereby the fluid supply may be cut oil at a specified time,

eliminating the human factor, as much possible, which is now indispensable for taking care of the burners of house appliances.

I would state in'conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute a practical embodiment of the invention, 1 do not li iit myself strictly to the exactdetails ill-us therein since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied and changed without departure from the spirit or the invention as is defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. An autoinatzc fuel cut-oil comprising a 111L116. pressure actuated means, adjusta e means on said fluid pressure actuated means for adjusting the latter for operation at a predetermined fluid pressnre, fuel cu means associated with said fluid pre actuated means for closi I said fuel when pressure and a chamber associated with the automatic fuel cut-ofl through which said moving fluid is made to move in a vertical column out to the atmosphere and in which said fluid pressure actuatedmeans is arranged.

2. An automatic fuel cut-off comprising adjustable means responsive to thechan'ge of pressure of a moving fluid escaping to the atmosphere, a valve for shutting off said fuel, valve closing means moved by said ad,- justable means when the latter is actuated by a change'of pressure of the moving fluid and a chamber in which said adjustable means operate and through which said moving fluid is made to move.

3; An automatic fuel cut-oif comprising a chamber having a perforated upper wall, an adjustable element adapted to move when the pressure of a fluid passing throughsaid chamber drops to a certain degree and means actuated by said element for stopping the flow of said fuel.

4;. An automatic fuel cut-off comprising a valve controlling the flow of the fuel, a chamber through which the heated air and burned gas developed by said fuel pass, an adjustable element adjusted to operate at a certain predetermined pressure of said heated air and gas arranged to operate in said chamber, said element being associated with said valve and closing the same whenmoving away from its normal position under the change of pressure of the heated air and burned gas.

5. An automatic fuel cut-off comprising an adjustable oscillating device held in a certain adjusted position by the heated fluid developed by said fuel, a valve controlling the flow of said fuel, a mechanism for shutting said valve, means for urging said mechanism in the direction to close said valve, a pawl adapted to be actuated by said oscillating device whenthe heated fluid developed by the fuel is insufficient to hold said oscillating device in a fixed position, and a chamber in which said oscillating device operates and through which said heated fluid is made to pass out to the atmosphere."

7 6. An automatic fuel cut-off comprising an adjustable oscillating device held 111 a certain adjusted position by the heated fluid developed by said fuel, a valve controlling theflow of the fuel, a mechanism to close said valve, urging means for urging said mechanism in one direction, and'means for setting said mechanism in a position ready to be urged by said urging means, a pawl to be actuated by said oscillating device when the latter fails to maintain its normal position due to a drop in pressure of the heated fluid generated by the fuel, and a chamber enclosing said oscillating device and through which said heated fluid is made to pass.

7. In an automatic cut-off of the class described a box, a valve closing mechanism within said box, a heated fluid chan'iber, means for supplying heated fluid. into said chamber, a floater actuated by the movement of the'heated fluid through the chamber, a valve connected with said mechanism,

means associated with said mechanism urging sald valve into closed position and means normally engaged by said floater to prevent chamber through which a portion of the air heated by said fluid when burning may be made to pass in an up and down column, means operated by said heated air arranged in said chamber, and means adapted to be actuated by the heat affected means to close said valve when the pressure of the heated air in said chamber drops below a certain degree. a Y

10. An automatic fluid-cut-ofl' comprising a spring actuated valve controlling the flow of the fluid to a burner, a chamber through which air heated by said burner may be made to pass in an up and down column, means responsive to the change of pressure of the air heated by said burner, means detaining said valve in an open position against the action of the spring, and means actuated by said means responsive to the pressure of the heated air to close said valve when the heat developed by said burner or burners drop below a certain degree, 11. In an automatic fluid cut-off of the class described, a valve controlling the flow of the fluid, means for urging the valve to its closed-position, means for detaining said valve in the open position, a pressure responsive element .engageable with said detaining means to allow the same to permit the valve to move to its closed position when the pressure responsive means move to a certain position due to a change in the heat developed by the fluid, and means carried by the heat responsive means for accelerating the movement of the heat responsive means.

12. In an automatic fuel cut-off controlling the flow of the fluid, means urging said valveto its closed position, a pawl to prevent the movement of said valve under the urgence of said means, fluid pressure,

actuated means to disengage said pawl when the heat produced by said fuel falls below a certain degree, and means actuated by the heat and a mechanism controlled by a clock to also cut off the fuel supply at a predetermined time, together W1thmanually actuated means for jointly setting in an operative position saicl finiclpressure means and clock operating mechanism.

' FRANK COLONNA. 

